Claude Bibeau (1954-1999)
BIBEAU (Claude Bibeau, 1954-1999), a native of Drummondville, Quebec, pursued a career as a painter for just over twenty years. His works have been exhibited in France, Mexico and Canada. Most of his works are in private collections in Europe and North America.
Sometimes labelled hyper-realist, sometimes naïve, sometimes surrealist, Claude Bibeau's paintings reveal a unique artistic personality and an incisive and original vision of society. Endowed with a great mastery of drawing and colouring, Bibeau left behind a rich, mature and unfortunately unfinished body of work.
Two of his major paintings, "Figure of Tragedy" and "Sébastien", are in the collection of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. He exploited the themes of naive art; landscapes, objects and characters are thus stylized; he was inspired by pop art, of which he was one of the only representatives in Quebec, by psychedelic imagery, hyperrealism and surrealism. He died prematurely on July 30, 1999, after a long illness.
Exhibitions
1975
Exhibition with Le Groupe Bonbon, Galerie Media, Montreal.
Group show La Relève, Place des Arts, Montreal.
1976-1979
Participates in the production of stage sets, posters and brochures for various children’s theatre companies, principally for La Cannerie, Drummondville.
1980
Illustrations for the book Le Tao sexuel, Éditions Jean Basile, Montréal.
1984-1996
Participates in the Thomas More Institute`s annual group exhibition, Montréal.
1985
Group show Huit peintres réalistes, Galerie l’Art Français, Montréal.
1989
Solo exhibition, Maison de la Culture Marie-Uguay, Montréal.
Group exhibit, Sid’Art, 5th International AIDS Conference, Montréal.
1993
Solo exhibition, , Claude Bibeau expose, Espace GL, Montréal, November 11 to 29.
1994
Two solo exhibitions (March, September), Galerie Mireille Brisset Art-Artistes, Montréal.
Participates in the Foire internationale de l’Art contemporain, Montréal.
Participation in the inaugural exhibition Encuentro Interamericano de Artistas plasticos, University of Guadalajara Art Museum, Mexico. October 10 to Decembre 31.
1999
Since the untimely death of Claude Bibeau, on July 30, 1999, Christian Bédard
acts as Curator for the artistic estate of Claude Bibeau.
2000
Production of a book on the artworks of Claude Bibeau, BIBEAU, published by Christian Bédard.
2001
3 retrospective exhibitions titled Bibeau travels in Quebec :
- Galerie Union-Vie, Drummondville, January 14 to February 11.
- Musée Laurier, Victoriaville, March 23 to May 27.
- Écomusée du fier monde, Montreal, June 14 to September 9.
2002
2 retrospective exhibitions entitled Bibeau travels in Quebec :
- Maison de la culture de Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal, December 20, 2001 to February 17, 2002.
- Centre des Arts, Shawinigan, April 19 to June 16.
Participation in the group exhibition: Le corps gai, Centre d'exposition du Vieux Palais, St-Jérôme, QC. Curator: Karl-Gilbert Murray. September 8 to November 3, 2002.
2004-2005
Exhibition Plain-Jeux : le jouet comme métaphore, La Pulperie de Chicoutimi, from September 17, 2004 to March 27, 2005.
2006-2007
Participation in the exhibition Acquérir pour grandir, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ). November 16, 2006 to April 15, 2007.
2019
Exhibition 20 years... already !? , Galerie Carte blanche, Montréal, October 23 to November 3.
2023-2024
Exhibition of 12 large reproductions of works organised by the Bibliothèque municipale de Drummondville. July 2023 to June 2024.
Publications
BIBEAU
ISBN : 2-9802788-1-5
2000
Christian Bédard
Le Tao Sexuel
30 dessins originaux de Claude Bibeau
1980
Jean Basile, Éditeur
Le Corps Gay
ISBN 2-922477-01-0
2002
Centre d’exposition du Vieux Palais, St-Jérôme, QC
Encuentro interamericano de artistas plasticos
ISBN 968-895-612-0
1994
Universidad de Guadaladjara, Mexique
PARCOURS, Été 1994
ISSN 1193-7688
1994